Here’s everything you need to know for Election Day 2018

What you need to know for Election Day

If you waited until Election Day to cast your ballot, here are the important things you need to know.
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If you waited until Election Day to cast your ballot, here are the important things you need to know.
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Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6, and the flow of campaign advertisements will end, but not before the final ballots are cast.

If you’re going to vote on Election Day, here are some things to remember:

What time are the polls open?

Polls in Illinois open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you’re in line to cast a ballot at 7 p.m., but haven’t reached a voting booth, don’t worry. You will be allowed to vote. An election judge stands behind the last person in line at 7 p.m.

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Yes. Voters are allowed to bring notes or a voters guide of who they plan to vote for in each race, said St. Clair County Clerk Tom Holbrook. Voters have to keep their notes hidden until they reach a voter’s booth, and have to take any notes with them when they leave the polling place so the next person doesn’t see who you voted for.

What are we voting on?

Races include the statewide offices: governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. Also on the ballot are legislative positions including state representatives, state senators, as well as U.S. representatives from Illinois. County boards seats as well as countywide offices and judicial seats are also the ballots. Some areas even have referendums, such as whether to dissolve the Collinsville Area Recreational District.

You can go to your polling place to register and vote at the same time through the state’s grace period registration process. Just bring two forms of identification with at least one showing your current address, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address.

Holbrook still encouraged people to vote early, especially if they’re not registered yet. A higher than usual turnout is expected in this midterm election.

Early voting runs through Monday.

I’m voting by mail, when do I send my ballot?

A vote-by-mail ballot needs to be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 6, for it to be counted.

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